Toggle-joint breech mechanism.



A. W.,SGHW,ARZLOSB. ToeeLE JOINT BRBBGH MEGHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 8, 1913. l

' Patented Aug. 19, 1913.

8 BHBETSHBET 1.

N n l N K w@ N l/M-A vm NNW f A. W. SGHWARZLOSE.

TOGGLE JOINT BRBEGHMEGHANISM.

` APPLICATION FILED FEB. 8, 1913.

1,070,633. Patented Aug. 19, 1913.

` 3 SHEETS-'SHEET 3.

A l nwerzzwp: 71% {MW ANDREAS WILHELM SCHWARZLOSE, F CHARLOTTENBURG, GERMANY.

` TOGGLE-J'OINT BREECH MECHANISM.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, ANDREAS I/VILHELM f SoHwAnzLosE, a subject of the German Empero-r, and resident o-f Charlottenburg, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toggle- Joint Breech Mechanism, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates toa breech mechanism with'knuckle joint for automatic firearms which is characterized in that the devices for closing themechanism and for {iring are housed in the'branches of the knuckle joint themselves. In lieu of the actual breech block containing the firing pin and the firing spring, a short guide head has been provided in the present construction which only serves as a fulcrum for the forward branch of the knuckle joint and for guiding the latter in the longitudinal direction whereby the ent-ire length of themechanism is very considerably reduced. By this as well as owing to the fact that special guides for the main or closing spring are dispensed with in the breech casing, not only l a greater simplicity of the mechanism is obtained but also such a great saving in weight arrived at that the members or branches of the knuckle joint can be made considerably stronger and more lastin' than this was possible until now without 1e actual Weight of the iire-arm being excessive.

Y Besides in fire arms which are to be shoull dered the jo-int which during the shot oscillates backward toward the eye of the shooter is kept away from the eye.

The novel breech mechanism ycanb'e e'mployed for hand fire-arms'as well as for machine guns and allows of its being constructed as a mechanism operated by the gasy pressure and as a mechanism operated by the recoil.

Figures l-12 of the drawing first show the breech mechanism in combination with a hand rifle with a fixed barrel, in this 'drawing: Fig. l shows a vertical longitudinal section of the breech mechanism in a closed condition, while Fig. 2 shows 'sanie in an open position.Y Fig. 3 is a cross section of same along a line l-2 of Fig. 1 and Fig.` 4 a cross section of same on line 3 4 of Fig.` l. Fig. 5 shows side, front and top views of a breech block used herewith. Fig. G showsv similar views of the front member of theknuckle. 'Fig 7 shows side and top viewsA Specification of Letters Patent.

Application 1ed February 8, 1913.

` Knuckle joint passes.

of the rear member of the knuckle. Fig. S I

ratentedaug. 19,1913. serial No. 747.104.

shows. front and side views of a cam used herewith. Fig. 9 shows front and side views of the firing. pin. Fig. l0 shows front Y Y and side views of a tumbler used herewith. Fig. ll is a side view of a cartridge extractor. Fig. 12 is a detail of a certain pivot pm. j I

In the embodiment shown the barrel Z is rigidlyrco'nnected'with the breech casing /i by means of a screw connection and both parts are rigidly `connected in the well known manner with the rifle stock. The guide head V (Fig. 5) comprises a substan* tially segmento-cylindrical part v which is provided with a flat surface @6 at the barrel contacting end and is provided at this part with a depression or recess o? intended to receive the headof the cartridge. It comprises besides the two lateral ledges o which are guided ina rectilinear manner in the longitudinal grooves z/ lof the breech casing. The ledges are provided on their inside with arc shaped projections o2 which when the breech mechanism is put together engage the two similarly sha'ped milled out part-s 53 of the front branch or part of the knuckle joint a (Fig. '6) in such a manner that they couple the joint in a rotary manner with the guide head. The knuckle joint of the mechanism is provid'edfor this purpose with fa half-round depression s which rotates over the part o. The center of relative movement or fulcrum c (Figs. l and 2) between the knuckle joint and 'the guide head is po sitioned in the example show n at the level of Vthe head ofthe cartridge in Ithe barrel. The half cylindrical part 'u is provided with a central bore v3 through which the cylindrical g rojection a" 'of the front branch of the i) This projection, when the mechanism is'closed (Fig. l) is closely applied with its front surface against the head of the cartridge in the barrel; it ythus receives during the firing the back pressure and transmits it directly to the knuckle joint of the mechanism without bringing pressure against theguide head V.

The knuckle joint s is provided rwith a longitudinal bore s4 which receives thc ing spring and the iirin'g pin b which members are inserted in the front arm from the rear. The point ofthe firing pin,wh1ch is made in one piece, (Fig. 9) is positioned so ast'o be slightly eccentric to the shaft b and passes through the prj'ebtioh 86 when the shot is fired (Fig. l).

places itself with its nose'lc in front of the stud b2 of the tiring pin and at its rear part carries two lateral studs k2 which are seized by the notches g5 of the rear branch g of the knuckle'joint when the mechanismis opened and thus pulled back (Fig. 2)'. The

tumbler '11, (Fig. 10) serves to hold the liring pin in a cocked conditionpit is mounted in the front branch of the knuckle joint so as to be able to -rotate around the pin t and its` hook a2 places itself in front of the notch b3 of the tiring pinwhen the latter is pulled back (Fig. 2). The sleeve 0 which bears at its frontpart against the firing spring f and at its rear end against the upper arm of the tumbler and at the same time guides the tiring pin, continuously presses the front arm of the 'tumbler upward.

The front branch .s of the knuckle joint is constructed in such a manner that when the breech mechanism is open, its two extensions 85 project at the top beyond the front surface of the guide head (Fig. 2).

The eye s2 of the branch s of the knuckle joint is connectedin the well known manner by means of theears g2 and the bolt b with the eye of the rear branch of the knuckle joint (Fig. 7) which in turn oscilla-tes around the cam shaft d (Fig. 8) in the breech casing. The branch g of the knuckle joint receives in its longitudinal bore g* the main spring f which through the instrumcntalit of the shaft CZ andthe sleeve is connecte with the breech casing in such a manner.

that it is tensioned when the branches of the knuckle joint oscillate upward (Fig. 2) and closes the breech mechanism again aul spring sleeve z' bears'which spring sleeve is guided -at its front part by the pin e of the ybranch ofthe lmuckle joint.- The shaft d is milled out to form a recess da wherein the head of the sleevemay rest and by means of this `is provided on its right hand sidewitha recess the head of the sleeve moves backward relatively to thel branch when the mechanism closed under `the influence of the springf. The handlepiece d2 is fixed to oneend of the shaft d and serves to actuate the shaft and bears in such a manner against an abutment h extending from one side of the v-breech casingv (Fig. 1) that the Shaft,

when the breech mechanism is opened-can! not rotate backward under the pressure of 4the spring f. -Wh en the breech mechanism 1s put together thev shaft d is inserted from'A the right hand side of the breech casing, the handle being turned forward and the main spring being pushed forward,'and is thereafter rotated backward against the shoul.

der jh?. The branch g ofthe knuckle joint vcut away y.portion 9.3 which allows the passage of the tensioning cam, the breech casing being provided-in a similar manner with a similar cut away portion.

In order to be able in the embodiment shown to annul the action of the main .spring on the breech mechanism when the llire arm is to be used as a hand loader, the

shaft d is rotated forward by means of its handle dz'to such an extent'that the tensioning ca m d springs behind the beveled part i of the head of the sleeve (Fig. 2 dot and dash lines). This being so the shaft, when the knuckle joint oscillates upward is carried along by the latter so that it rotates in the breech casing and is unable to exert any closing action upon the breech mechanism. 'It will be obvious, from the inspection of the drawings, that during automatic action the cam d is in such position that it cannot engage the beveled part of the sleeve head.

In connection with the invention the eX- tractor illustrated'in Fig. 11 and indicated generally at z is used, it is not deemed necessary to specifically describe this extractor the present invention. Y

Slidably mounted in the casing is a Sear rod a to which is connected Va trigger z. At 1.0% is a pivot which passes through the scar rod a and through a Sear pawl w provided adjacent its forward end with a lug 'or hook w. This scar rod is provided at its sideswith lateral extending ribs or ledges a? and -these ledges engage in grooves `a formed in the breech casing, the ledges and grooves vserving to guide the sear rod. At the rear end of the sear rod there is provided 'a stud ;0.v tomatically after the counter pressure has The release of the cocked' firing pin is produced by the sear rod a (Figs. 1 and 2) which when the trigger z is pulled glides slightly backward in the breech casing. The hook w of the Sear pawl w which is pivotally connected with the sear rod, carries with 1t, the lower arm of the tumbler n so that the front arm of the latter slides from the notch bs of the.l ring pin thus allowing the ring y spring to throw the firing pin forward (Fig. -1). The sear rod engageswith its two lat-v eral ledges as corresponding milled out grooves of the breech casingI (Fig. '3) so that it can move backward and forward in a straight line in the longitudinalv groove 'h of the latter. When the breech mechanism uppermost cartridge contained in the magazine'a-nd'thus serves at the same time asa-i lower transverse-part .against .the shoulder u a1 of the scar rod whereby the latter is' pulled` back .until it is 'pcsitionedf behind the cartridge magaine' thus fr'eeing the up. 130

as the same does not form a specific part of l is closed the sear rod is; positioned abovethe perrnost cartrid e of the magazine vwith a View toy its introduction into the barrel (Fig. 2). As s as the sear rod durin this vmotion takes up a position behind ne maga- `zine, its stud strikes against the rear end of the groove h4 and compresses the spring f2 (Fig. l) which is housed in the searrod and in this manner acts 'at the same time as a buffer spring, while the front end of the spring is applied againstA the scar pawl fw thus yieldingly and constantly vpushing the latter upward. As readily seeny the front end ofthe seai' pawl whenthe breech mechanism is opened, places itself in .the way of mot-ionv of the extracted cartridge case and ejects the latter in an upward direction (Fig. 2). Upon the rear end of the sear rod there are provided inclined surfaces a which, when the sear rod moves backward engage the incline lugs a7 formed in the bottom of the groove h4. On the under side of the guide head b there is provided a notch b4 and on the forward end of the Sear rod isa hook a2 while a stud a4 is also formed on said rod adjacent the pivot w3'.

The scar rod while moving backward is i at the same time slightly lifted upward by the rea-r terminal surfaces of the ledges a3 which engage inclined surfaces of the' breech casing, while the lhook a2 engages.

the notch 'v4 (Fig. 5) of the guide head c. When the breech mechanism is closed the guide head,- as readily seen, also pulls the sear rod again forward until the studs at of the rod place themselves under the downwardly inclined guides of the breech casing and press the rod slightly downward so that the hook a2 leaves again the guide head.

The sear rod is. thus disengaged from the breech mechanism which continues its forward movement, and stops in the posit-ion shown in Fig. 1, while the hook lw of the pawl w again springs in front of the lower arm of the tumbler n after the breech mechanismv has been entirely cdsed.

rIhe action of the main spring f on the knuckle joint of the breech mechanism is adjusted in such a manner that whenthe breech mechanism is opened (Fig. 2) it is incapable of throwing the latter forward a by itself. It is therefore not necessary when opening the fire arm by hand that the marksman when he pushes the cartridges into the magazine or when he loads the rifle with separate cartridges, holds` the breech mechanism(A However, when autoi matic tiring is practiced the bufer action of the spring f2 throws the breech mechanism forward with such a violence that the main spring is carriedv off the dead center and that the breech mechanism is-thrown for ward into the closing position without any interruption.

In order to allow of the firing pin and the tumbler and the tiring spring to be easilv removed from the knucklejoint of ythe breech mechanism for cleaning purposes, the tumbler nis secured in the branch s by means of the pin stirrup t (Fig. 12). secnd branch of this stirrup passes through a hole bored in the hinge pin b (Figs. 1 2) while the hook "'s rlngs in front of a corresponding notch o the hinge pin. As the pin b can only be slid out toward the side from which it was inserted, the ar.- rangement described fixes the pin stirrup as well as the hinge pin in such a manner that they canwbe taken apart by hand.

Aft-er the separation of the branches's andVV 'g' has been ifected, the firing pin and'i'ts ,tiring spring, the spring sleeve and the tumbler can then be removed in a cocked condition as a whole from the knuckle joint branch.

Having now fully described my said invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a breech mechanism of the kind described the combination with the breech casing; of a knuckle joint and means for closing the breech `mechanism and for firing, said means being mounted in the branches of the knuckle joint themselves, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.,

2. In a breech mechanism of the kind described, the combination with the breech casing; of a knuckle joint, a main sprin adapted to close the breech mechanism an housed in the rear branch of said knuckle joint, a firing pin, a firing pin spring, and means adapted to cockand lock the said tiring pin and spring, the said firing pin, spring and their controlling means being mounted in the front branch of said knuckle joint, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. Ina breech mechanism of the kind described the combination with the breech casing; of a knuckle joint, a main spring adapted to close the breech mechanism and housed in the rear branch of said knuckle joint, a shaft adapted to hingedly connect the rear end of the said rear branch of said knuckle joint with the said breech casing, means including a cam on said shaft for causing the said shaft to tension the said main spring under normal conditions, said cam being adapted to be turned forward to prevent closing of the breech.

4. In a breech mechanism of the kind described the combination with the breech casing; of a knuckle joint, a main spring adapted to close the breech mechanism and housed in the rear branch of the said knuckle j niet. a shaft. hingedly connecting the rear end of the said rear branch of said knuckle joint with the said breech casing, a cam provided on said shaft and adapted to tension the saidl main spring during the o ening motion of the `mechanism, means or rotating the said' shaft to move the cam forward and prevent said main spring from expanding when the mechanism is open, whereby the fire-arm is held on safety, and a handle on said shaft to vrotate the shaft backward when the mechanism is closed and thereby open said mechanism.

5. In a breechA mechanism of the kind describedl the combination with the breech casiing; of a knuckle joint including front an close the breech mechanism and housed in rear arms, a lmain spring adapted to l 'set my hand in presence of'two witnesses.

'Y ANDREAS WILHELM SCHWRZLSE. Witnesses: v

HENRY HAsPnn, WOLDEMAR HAUPT. 

